Multi-agency operation targets north core trafficking
A Thunder Bay Police Service intelligence-led investigation known as Project Rave resulted in six people being charged and what police estimate as about $300,000 worth of suspected illicit drugs seized from locations across the city.
Members of the Thunder Bay Police Service Intelligence Unit and Emergency Task Unit executed five search warrants on July 16, 2026, with assistance from the Ontario Provincial Police Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau and Nishnawbe Aski Police Service. The operation focused on suspected drug distribution in Thunder Bay’s downtown north core and aimed to disrupt related criminal networks.
"On July 16, 2026, members of the Thunder Bay Police Service Intelligence Unit and Emergency Task Unit... executed five search warrants at locations throughout the City of Thunder Bay,"
Items seized and charges
Police reported seizing multiple drugs, weapons and other items. The six accused face a combined total of 37 charges. Four of those charged are local residents of Thunder Bay; two others reside in the city but are from elsewhere. All have appeared in court; two were remanded and the remainder released pending further proceedings.
- Suspected drugs: 2,761.59 grams of suspected cocaine; 383 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine; 1,167 suspected Percocet tablets
- Other items: more than $5,000 in Canadian currency, two vehicles, brass knuckles, a switchblade, five cellular devices and four digital scales
Police note on valuation and testing
The approximately $300,000 street-value figure is a police estimate. The substances are described as suspected drugs and would normally require laboratory analysis before formal confirmation and any related forensic reporting for court.
| Item | Reported amount |
|---|---|
| Suspected cocaine | 2,761.59 g |
| Suspected crystal methamphetamine | 383 g |
| Suspected Percocet tablets | 1,167 tablets |
| Cash | More than $5,000 |
Context and funding
Police stressed the importance of the city’s role as a transportation and service hub for Northwestern Ontario. Major enforcement actions in Thunder Bay can potentially affect supply chains that extend beyond municipal borders, though police did not allege the accused supplied drugs to particular communities outside the city in their public release.
Deputy Police Chief Jeremy Pearson said the operation received funding through Ontario’s Ministry of the Solicitor General and that the service pursues available provincial grants to support focused investigations.
The charges and seizures are part of ongoing efforts by local and provincial agencies to address drug trafficking. Court proceedings and laboratory analyses will determine next steps in prosecuting the accused and confirming the nature of the seized substances.
